Fear grips Bole residents as Guinean miners arrive ‘unchecked’

Residents of Pinga in the Bole district of the Northern Region are living in fear as illegal miners from Guinea return to the town from the Ebola-stricken country.

The Guineans, who are engaged in illegal gold prospecting in the Pinga township have been trooping back to the area after selling the precious stones in Guinea and other West African countries.

Guinea is among five West African countries battling the deadly viral disease that has claimed 1,900 lives in the sub-region, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) latest figures.

The residents and even health workers in the town say the Guineans arrive in large numbers without any medical screening.

Joy News’ reporter, Seth Kwame Boateng, who was in the Pinga community together with Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, said even community health workers are living in fear.

Cephas Ekpa, a community health worker at the Pinga community told Seth “once they [Guineans] are coming in, definitely we are all at risk”.

He said the situation has been worsened by the lack of proper checks at the borders.

Director General of the Ghana Health Service told Seth he will immediately contact the immigration service to take action.

He said he will also dispatch protective gears and thermometers to the area as soon as possible.

Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira said he will direct disease control officers in the area to track the Guinean miners who are currently living in the area.